02/27/2012

Earthmovers magazine is currently running a competition in which you can win a copy of Steven Vale's latest DVD, Scrap Metal Giants, as well as his book Walking with Giants. The competition is running in the March issue and also online at the Earthmovers website. Closing date for entries is 13 April.

Beet Harvesters in Britain Part 2 1995-2012, Chris Lockwood. DVD, approx 120 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-28-7. Now released by Old Pond at £16.95. Parts 1 and 2 are available together as a set at £31.95.

The second DVD in this two-part DVD set focuses on the advances in harvester design of the past fifteen years. Tanks are larger and there are more axles to spread the massive weights involved. The machines handle an increasing number of rows with far more technical monitoring.

The programme also covers the recent trend towards specialised 'beet chasers' in the field and self-propelled cleaner loaders. An extra feature looks at the Vervaet factory and the company's history.

Chris Lockwood justifiably claims this pair of programmes to be 'the most thorough on beet harvesters ever'. In total some 75 machines are featured over the two discs which include examples from almost all the beet harvester manufacturers whose machines sold in the UK in recent decades. Some stills can be seen in two blog entries here and here.

Beet Harvesters in Britain Part 1 1960-1995, Chris Lockwood. DVD, approx 120 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-27-0. Now released by Old Pond at £16.95. Parts 1 and 2 are available together as a set at £31.95.

This, the first of a two-part DVD set, covers the development of beet harvesters from 1960 to the mid-1990s. It documents the changes, firstly, from trailed single-row side-elevator harvesters on to multi-row trailed machines. It deals with early self-propelled harvesters and finally with the more recent six-row tanker machines.

The majority of the machines are shown at work in all weathers on farms, filmed specifically for this programme by Chris Lockwood. Stills can be seen in two blog entries here and here.

02/21/2012

Decade of Evolution Parts One and Two, DVDs telling the story of the Ford series 10 tractors from 1981 to 1991 are now in stock at Old Pond. These are Tractor Barn productions from Stephen Richmond and Jonathan Whitlam.

02/08/2012

Commercial Motor magazine's Brian Wetherley seems to like Patrick Dyer's latest book. Having seen an advance copy, he started his Biglorryblog review as follows:

"Every once in a while Biglorryblog gets lucky when a review copy of a decent book thuds onto my desk. And the good folk at Old Pond Publishing have come up with another winner! The ‘Ford Transcontinental at Work’ by well-known trucking author Patrick W Dyer is an absolute belter (11/10 on the BLB anorak scale) providing the ultimate pictorial (it has no less than 200 photographs) and historical walk-through of Ford’s towering Transconti tractor with the blue oval badge on the front."

There are some good pictures and enthusiastic information on Brian's blog. The book is now in stock. You can see details and order it online at Old Pond here.

02/01/2012

Decade of Evolution: the Story of the Ford Series 10 Tractors Part Two 1985-91, Stephen Richmond & Jonathan Whitlam. DVD approx 100 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-30-0. Available now from Old Pond at £16.95. Parts One and Two together: £31.95 (see the Old Pond website Offers Page).

Between 1981 and 1991 the Ford Motor Company produced one of its most successful tractor ranges ever – the Series 10. The Tractor Barn film-makers have produced a pair of DVDs to celebrate this range.

In Part Two, presenter Stephen Richmond picks up the story in 1985 with the launch of the Force II range and all the developments that came with it. The Super Q cab took the range to new heights of modernity and operator comfort, and the range later expanded to take in the new 7810 model.

Stephen shows how the later Series 10 machines evolved until the 1989 launch of the Generation III models with more electronic monitoring and control. This was the final flowering of the range.

The film-makers use both recently filmed footage as well as specially selected archive films produced by the Ford Motor Company at the time.

The archive films include the launch of the Force II models, a look behind the scenes at the Ford tractor factories and a tour of the United States with the Ford Borehamwood Demonstration Team. A view of the workings of the ElectroLink electronic hydraulic controls on the 8210 III model brings the story up to the end of Series 10 tractor production in 1991.

In a special feature Stephen looks at the restoration of a Ford 7810 III and its continued use as a working machine.

For more DVDs by Tractor Barn, including their highly successful programme, The Story of the Ford 7000, see here.

Decade of Evolution: the Story of the Ford Series 10 Tractors Part One 1981-84, Stephen Richmond & Jonathan Whitlam. DVD approx 85 minutes. ISBN 978-1-908397-29-4. Available February from Old Pond at £16.95. Parts One and Two together: £31.95 (see the Old Pond website Offers Page).

Between 1981 and 1991 the Ford Motor Company produced one of its most successful tractor ranges ever – the Series 10. The Tractor Barn film-makers have produced a pair of DVDs to celebrate this range.

In Part One, presenter Stephen Richmond first sets the scene by looking at Ford tractor developments up to 1981 when the Series 10 was launched. He shows that the series embodied the company’s ideas up to that point as well as new features such as a synchromesh gearbox.

The bulk of the programme tells the story of the first Series 10 models as well as the later introduction of the flagship 8210 and other improvements up to 1984. The film-makers use recently filmed footage as well as specially selected archive films produced by the Ford Motor company at the time.

The archive films show factory shots of Series 10 development machines. You will see forage harvesting with the 7610 as well as a 7710 using a Ransomes push–pull plough during a Dutch ploughing marathon.

Archive footage showing the launch of the Series 10 compact tractors is yet another contribution to the story of this important tractor class. Finally, Stephen looks at the restoration of an early Ford 6610 tractor from rusty used condition back to as good as new.For more DVDs from Tractor Barn, including their highly successful programme The Story of the Ford 7000, see here.